Week 8 NFL Picks

After a down week in week 6, week 7 treated me very kindly. I picked 11 out of 15 games correctly. That’s a 73.3% success rate, which I think is by far my best week yet. This week I’m going to try and stay on a hot streak. My total is now up to 63 out of 106 (59%). I’m so close to the 60% mark! I hope my picks pull through for me this week.

Dolphins vs Ravens (Thursday)

The Dolphins have struggled on offense for most of the season, and now they’ll be without Jay Cutler. Not that Cutler was anything great this season, but his injury makes things even more difficult. The Ravens offense has struggled throughout the season also, but their defense has thrived against weak offensive opponents. I expect this to be a defensive battle with the Ravens coming out on top. They just have a little more stability offensively.

Pick: Ravens

Vikings vs Browns

The Browns quarterback situation continues to be their downfall. What’s new? The Vikings don’t have the most stable situation at the quarterback position, but what they do have is a great defense. A team without a solid quarterback isn’t going to have much luck against these guys.

Pick: Vikings

Chargers vs Patriots

The Chargers are on a winning streak, but the 3 teams they’ve beaten have been the winless at the time Giants, the banged up Raiders, and the dropping off after a hot start Broncos. Now they face the Patriots. The Patriots have had a little bit of a tough time this season, but they’re still one of the better teams. The Patriots defense has been playing much better as of late, and I think they’ll do enough to slow down the Chargers offense.

Pick: Patriots

Bears vs Saints

Mitch Trubisky only completed 4 passes in their win last week. I’m still amazed by that, but let me tell you that it won’t be happening two weeks in a row. Drew Brees leads the fourth highest scoring offense in the league right now. Completing 4 passes isn’t going to outscore that.

Pick: Saints

Panthers vs Buccaneers

The Panthers offense was shut down last week. This week they play the 29th ranked defense in terms of points allowed per game, but I don’t think it matters. The Buccaneers are ranked 10th in points per game, and while the Panthers defense is ranked 11th, the Bucs just put up 27 points on the 4th best defense (Bills). They didn’t win, but they still scored 27 points. Neither team is playing very well right now, but the Buccaneers will get things back on track.

Pick: Buccaneers

Colts vs Bengals

Both the Bengals and Colts have a poor offense. Neither team averages more than 17 points per game. The difference in this game will be the defense. The Bengals got wrecked by Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers, but overall they’ve played pretty well. The Colts defense is just awful, allowing 31.7 points per game. The better defense wins.

Pick: Bengals

Raiders vs Bills

The Raiders seem to back to last years version of themselves with an exciting victory over the Chiefs. Derek Carr played well, and Amari Cooper had himself a game. I was bitter about that one because he was on my bench in fantasy and score 40+ points! Good thing I still won my game. The Bills are one of the better teams in the league right now, and they have a top 5 defense. I think the Bills defense can cool off a hot Raiders offense.

Pick: Bills

49ers vs Eagles (Lock)

The Philadelphia Eagles are red hot, and the 49ers are….. not. Even the Dallas Cowboys defense (Allowing 23.7 points per game) held the 49ers to 10 points. The 49ers couldn’t get anything going and the Dallas Cowboys offense made them pay for it. The Eagles have been scoring in bunches this season, and I expect that to stay the same.

Pick: Eagles

Falcons vs Jets (Upset)

The Falcons offense has been bad in the last 3 weeks. They haven’t scored more than 17 points, resulting in three straight losses. The Jets are also on a two game losing streak, but they have been making things competitive. They were close against the Patriots and the Dolphins. With the Falcons struggling, they should be on upset alert. They’re still favored, but they can’t get comfortable. I think their struggles continue into this game and the Jets get an upset victory.

Pick: Jets

Texans vs Seahawks (Marquee Matchup)

In their first game, the Texans played one of the best defensive units in the league in the Jaguars (Still can’t believe that). They got crushed. Rookie Deshaun Watson didn’t play that entire game, but still. He’s played well since then, but this is probably his toughest test so far. Not only is he playing against the Seattle defense, who leads the league in points allowed per game, but he’s playing the Seattle defense in Seattle. Very tough test for any quarterback, especially a rookie.

Pick: Seahawks

Cowboys vs Redskins

The Cowboys and Redskins don’t have a whole lot separating them when it comes to defense. There’s about a one point difference in how many points they allow per game. The offense for these teams have a little more separation. The Cowboys offense is scoring 27.5 points per game, while the Redskins offense is scoring 23.4. Although they were playing the 49ers last week, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, and the rest of the Cowboys offense looked great. I think they continue their offensive success, which will carry them to victory.

Pick: Cowboys

Steelers vs Lions (Sunday Night)

The Steelers defense is one of the best in the NFL. In their last two games they’ve allowed 14 and 13 points. One of those games was against the Chiefs, who have the second highest scoring offense in the league right now. The Lions have a good offense, currently ranked 8th in scoring. The problem for the Lions is that they have a defense that ranks 28th in points allowed. The Steelers defense should be able to slow down Stafford and the Lions offense.

Pick: Steelers

Broncos vs Chiefs (Monday)

Allowing just 19.7 points per game, the Denver defense is good. On the other side of the ball though, not so much. In their last 4 games, the Broncos offense hasn’t scored more than 16 points. Last week they scored 0. Even with a defense like theirs, you have to score more than 16 points if you want to consistently win games. Even when facing a tough defense, the Chiefs offense should be able to outscore the Broncos and pull off a win.

Pick: Chiefs

You may have noticed some minor differences in my post this week. I’ve chosen a lock, upset, and marquee matchup pick this week. I’ve joined a Playoff Push Prediction League with a few other bloggers. We will be competing against each other throughout the rest of the season to see who can earn the most points. To view my competitors picks, click the links below: